KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Sin Chew Daily) — The Federation of Alumni Associations of Taiwan Universities Malaysia will serve as a platform to introduce the latest agricultural technology from Taiwan to Malaysia, says its president Lawrence Ting Siew Haw.

Ting said the association had approached the breeding and fisheries industries in Taiwan for collaboration in support of Malaysia's food security policy.

In a statement, Ting said food supply was extremely important especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as some countries even temporarily stopped food exports to meet domestic demand.

According to statistics, food in Malaysia could only last for three months if the supply chain is disrupted.

The statistics department has said Malaysia's self-sufficiency rate of rice is about 70%, while that for fruits is 78.4%, vegetables 44.6% and meat 22.95%.

The statement also said Malaysia imports more than RM59 billion of food, mostly rice-related products, followed by vegetables (RM4.6 billion), fruits (RM3.9 billion) and seafood (RM4.1 billion).

Ting said despite the fact Malaysia is self-sufficient in fruits and vegetables and is exporting food, the country still imports seafood, temperate vegetables and fruits.

The advancement in agricultural technology would help resolve issues such as limited land for farming and underdeveloped farm land, it said.

The association believes that by adopting technology, innovation and developing human capitals in the agricultural sector, these measures would hep resolve issues such as low production, high labor costs and expensive agricultural products.

With proper management and automated machineries adopting the latest technology, food production in Malaysia is not only self-sufficient but capable of meeting demand of both domestic and foreign markets, and thus achieving the target of food security, the statement said.